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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22447402">A new recipe</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoonoosKitchen/pseuds/NoonoosKitchen'>NoonoosKitchen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shukitashu canapés [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A small one-shot for baby Fox's birthday, Aged-Up Character(s), M/M, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 13:55:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,474</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22447402</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoonoosKitchen/pseuds/NoonoosKitchen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Akira is a professional baker who wants to create a special treat for his crush's birthday.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amamiya Ren/Kitagawa Yusuke, Kitagawa Yusuke/Kurusu Akira, Kitagawa Yusuke/Persona 5 Protagonist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shukitashu canapés [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1615258</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>70</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A new recipe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A birthday cake… a birthday cake… a birthday cake…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Akira keeps repeating the words in his head as he rapidly taps a pen on the counter, staring at the blank paper intently. He has two weeks to think of a recipe worthy of Yusuke. It can’t be a simple cake with a tasty filling. It needs to be special, as special as Yusuke is to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Let’s see. He could start listing off things Yusuke likes, that might help him come up with something.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Art. Everybody knows he loves art, but it’s not only that; he loves the CREATION of art, and all that is considered art. His vision of what art is extends to any craft that relates passion, dedication and sentiment. He calls Akira's croissants art, he calls his éclairs beautiful, because he is a person capable of seeing beauty manifested in many forms. As such, going for a homemade present is clearly a good start. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Walks. A habit Yusuke developed when skipping train rides as much as possible. Akira loves to accompany the artist on his many aimless walks through the city and its parks. Yusuke taught Akira how to take in his surroundings and draw conclusions out of them, learn how to read the stories that time engraved in the world around him. Yusuke specially loved to walk in green environments. Maybe Akira could try to incorporate in his dessert something that portrays an image of nature…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rain. It's not like Yusuke particularly likes this type of weather, but Akira's unable to think of rain and not immediately have Yusuke's earnest face appear on his mind. It got to a point were Akira even wished for it to rain, because he knew that somehow, the fates would twirl their strings around and he would end up meeting Yusuke that day. The rain also reminded him of Yusuke's personality; refreshing, transparent, and able to make him feel at ease. Rain was easy to pair up with a nature theme too. Maybe he could come up with something resembling rain hitting on a window...</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Food. That's a point in Akira's favour. Though Yusuke doesn't starve himself to death like he used to in high school, he hasn't lost his appreciation for cuisine. And he has improved much in controlling himself from adding unnecessary spices and ingredients to his meals. Also, who could ever forget Yusuke’s love for Jagariko, dating back to their teenage years.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jagariko…? Potato… potato? Sweet potato… Sweet potatoes… Fall… Chestnuts?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Yes, of course! Chestnuts are fairly used in Japanese meals, and they have such a distinct flavour! Yes, chestnut will be the main focus, but how to incorporate them… he would like something easy to eat, something you want to have a spoonful after another...</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Akira suddenly has a vision.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Light, siphon like cake base, filled with a chestnut mousse. The base is topped with a caramelized chestnut, on which the caramel’s been let to swirl around to create a nest, smaller pieces of gold and bronze colour crispy chocolates hidden in it. To finish it off, the dessert is covered with a sugar dome splattered with gold tones on one side.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Great. The work is cut out for him, all that's left is a prefect execution. Utilizing the little free time he has when the bakery is not opened, Akira gets to work.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This masterpiece obviously won’t be completed on the first try. In confectionery, every single detailed must be executed flawlessly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It isn't strange to fail on the second try either. It starts to get frustrating when it happens on the third one too. And fifth. And eight.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Many dried cakes, burn caramels and shattered sugar domes later, Akira's patience grows terribly thin. Day after day is trays and trays of mishaps thrown to the garbage can and new attempts that meet the same fate. He tries to think of Yusuke's blinding smile to keep pursuing the materialization of his feelings, but the failed attempts on the countertop mock him so that even the artist can't lift his mood up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The fateful day is tomorrow, and his creation remains in ruins. How can it be this difficult? He’s a professional, dammit! He should be able to handle this! Is he adding too much extra pressure on himself...?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After shaking the thoughts off, Akira decides to discard the latest batch. Maybe he should just settle on some new paints…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As he's about to take his apron off (adorably adorned with small black cats, courtesy of Haru), the bakery's door jingles. As Akira moves to go to the outside counter, he hears the costumer's footsteps getting closer to the kitchen's door. Confused, he goes to open it and meets face to face with the source of all his terrible accidents. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yusuke looks back at him with soft eyes and a tender smile.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Good afternoon, Akira. I was in the area and thought I could stop by to greet you." He explains calmly, brushing a flock of his long hair behind his ear. He let it grow out after high school, and to Akira’s opinion, he’s never looked better. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey. Sure wasn't expecting you…" He replies, feeling the familiar heat that gathers on his cheeks whenever he sees Yusuke curl up his face. He steps aside to let the newcomer enter the kitchen, realizing a second too late he didn't have time to trash his most recent cooking tragedy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I hope I am not a bother," Yusuke says, setting his bag on and empty chair and looking at the still dirty countertop. “I see you were working on something new. May I ask what it is?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Akira grimaces. He doesn't want to tell him, but there isn't any point in lying either. “It is… it WAS, supposed to be your birthday cake…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My birthday cake?” The artist repeats, blinking a few times. His eyes seem to sparkle, moved by the gesture. “I see... I apologize for coming unannounced then, I ruined the surprise.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nah, it’s fine. It didn’t work out anyway…” He confessed with a dejected tone, hand flying up to rub the back of his neck in an embarrassed gesture.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It didn't work out...?" Yusuke repeats Akira's words once again, though this time he mulls them over for a few seconds, hand on his chin in a pensive pose. "I do not clearly see the vision of the broken glass-like pieces, but the dark brown nest of strings does make for a nice off-balance composition. I wonder, what is…" Slowly, he reaches out with a finger to the light texture mousse on the inside and takes some of it. "Ah, chestnut! Definitely chestnut! What a delightful flavour and soft consistency! And this gradation of brown colours it presents, it is simply magnificent. I recall a piece by an Italian artist reminiscent ofー"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Akira stares, stunned in place, as Yusuke keeps rambling about his failed dessert, praising it like he would any other work of art. And in that instant a realization hits him, one that makes his heart swell from the deepest love.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course Yusuke likes it. He would like anything Akira did for him. He’s been thinking about all the things he likes about Yusuke for the whole week, so how couldn’t he recall how big and kind his heart can be? How caring his soul is? If this wasn’t the main reason why Akira’s dreams are filled with images of pale, slander hands, long lashes and blue flocks of hair…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Amused and with his cheeks flushed anew, Akira runs a hand down his face and turns to Yusuke. "Glad you like it, even though it's in shambles."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Nonsense, it is merely… Oh my," He suddenly exclaims, eyes wide. "Isn't it for tomorrow, then? So sorry, I shouldn't be eating it now…"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Letting out a soft chuckle, Akira takes a step closer to him. "It's fine, I'll just make another one. Go on and enjoy it," As casually as he can, he slips his arm along Yusuke's shoulders, giving him something similar to a hug. "Happy early birthday."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In an attempt to hide his nervousness by fixing his eyes on the floor, Akira misses Yusuke's cheeks going as red as his at the contact.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"...Thank you." The artist reply comes in a low voice, and he continues to eat the small treat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Why don't we take a head start of the celebration before the party with everyone and go out for dinner? Just the two of us." Akira proposes, arm still unmoving from the artist's shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"But of course, it would be my pleasure." Yusuke responds, leaning a bit more into Akira’s touch, his eyes half lidded.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After some awkward laughter and bashful smiles are exchanged, Akira closes the bakery and they grab their things, walking into the chilly January evening and keeping close to each other.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <span>Let’s all take this day to remember why we love the soft artist boy so much. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thank you very much for reading, and happy birthday Yusuke! &lt;3</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <a href="https://twitter.com/nature_check">
    <span>twitter</span>
  </a>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
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